COVID-19: 11 new clusters including at dialysis centre

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the remaining nine clusters detected comprised two each in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, three in Johor and one each in Kelantan and Kedah.

The Malim Dialysis cluster in Melaka was detected in Melaka Tengah and Alor Gajah districts involving the index case (case no. 130,982) which was reported positive on Jan 8 through screening of symptomatic individuals.

“The cluster name refers to the locality where the cases in this cluster were reported, that is a dialysis centre in Jalan Malim, Balai Panjang, Melaka, and so far 75 individuals have been screened with 13 cases confirmed positive,” he told a press conference on COVID-19 here today.

In Negeri Sembilan, the Kampung Tengah cluster involved a wedding reception in Seremban district where the index case (case no. 127,016) was reported positive on Jan 7 from screening of symptomatic individuals.

Dr Noor Hisham said as of today, 130 individuals had been screened with 20 cases confirmed positive in this cluster.

In Selangor, the Taman Integrasi workplace cluster involved Gombak district, with the first positive case reported on Jan 10 through targeted screening at a factory.

He said the cluster name refers to the locality of the workers’ hostel of the factory in the Rawang Integrated Industrial Park, and so far 250 individuals had been screened with 119 found positive.

Another workplace cluster is the one at Jalan Ijuk involving Petaling, Kuala Langat, Sepang, Klang and Hulu Langat districts in Selangor, he added.

“The positive cases in this cluster were reported beginning Jan 10 from targeted screening at a factory in Jalan Ijuk 26/5, Hicom Industrial Estate, Shah Alam, and so far 262 individuals have been screened with 99 tested positive,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said a workplace cluster was also reported in Johor - Jalan Rami cluster in Muar involving the index case (case no. 132,549) which was reported positive on Jan 9 through screening of an individual prior to departure for country of origin.

“Subsequent screenings at the workplace of the index case at a factory in the district found 111 individuals positive of COVID-19, and till today, 241 individuals have been screened with 112 found positive,” he said.

Also in Johor, the Kota cluster was detected from screening of symptomatic individuals in Kota Tinggi district, and so far 57 positive cases have been reported. In the case of Tanjung Megah cluster in Pontian district, another workplace cluster, it was detected from screening of close contacts and as a result, 12 more positive cases have been recorded so far for this cluster.

In Kuala Lumpur, two workplace clusters were detected involving two security companies as a result of targeted screening - Jalan Kasturi cluster with 16 positive cases in Lembah Pantai and Kepong, and Jalan Tamby cluster (23 cases), also in Lembah Pantai.

Another workplace cluster, Taman Batik cluster, was detected in Kuala Muda dan Baling districts in Kedah involving the index case (case no. 135,722) which was reported positive on Jan 10 through screening of symptomatic individuals, and so far nine positive cases have been reported in this cluster.

Dr Noor Hisham said the Bukit Bakar cluster involved Machang district in Kelantan with the index case (case no. 115,060) being reported on Jan 1 through screening of symptomatic individuals and so far 18 cases have been detected in this cluster.

He said the new clusters pushed the number of COVID-19 clusters in the country to 616, with 270 active clusters remaining after the Tapak Bina Condong cluster in Kuala Lumpur and Seri Tasik cluster in Perak were declared to have ended.